A Garden of Spices from the Pen of Samuel Rutherford

The story behind the first publication of this book is remarkable. Two ministers, Rev. L. R. Dunn, of Jersey City, New Jersey, and Rev. A. C. George, of St. Louis, Missouri each spent the Winter of 1867-68 compiling what they believed were helpful extracts of Rutherford's famous Letters. They had never met each other, neither did either man know that the other was working on selecting and arranging extracts for a readable devotional. In the Spring of 1868 both pastors submitted their arrangements to the same publisher Book Concern (New York and Cincinnati respectively). Each was recommended for publication. Just before the work of publishing began, internal communication at Book Concern discovered that New York and Cincinnati were about to issue almost the exact same book. The publisher then asked the two ministers if they might meet in Chicago to review their strangely similar work. Upon comparison, it was found that the extracts and arrangement of the two books were almost identical.

Dunn and George both believed that it was more important to publish the book, than to make a name for themselves, so they agreed that Rev. Dunn's selections would be the basis of the publication, and the biographical essay written by Rev. George would forward the work. To quote from the original 1869 edition,

In this form the book is now published. We trust that the fact of these two minds being drawn to the same work is indicative of a want for it, and of the welcome the public will give it, while the fact that the extracts made by two different persons were nearly the same, is evidence that the selection is the best that could be made from The Letters Of Rutherford.

In this extracted edition, you will find topical entries sectioned off by thematic chapters. Chapters like, How to Seek Christ, Faith and Assurance, and Our Departed Children. There are 15 chapters in total, each with many pages of encouraging words from the pen of Samuel Rutherford. I hope you will find these spiritual gems a comfort to your own soul, from perhaps the most devotional author the English language has ever know.

Sincerely yours,

Rev. J. Lewis
Free Reformed Church
Pompton Plains, New Jersey